One local doctor heading to Tanzania in November needs the community's help to gather supplies and funds for the upcoming trip.

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Updated: 11:13 AM EDT Sep 14, 2016

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WEBVTT 3 GIVING BIRTH IS SOMETHING THAT WE TAKE FOR GRANTED HERE IN AMERICA.DOCTOR JOANNE PRICE TELLS ME THAT A LOT OF MOTHERS HERE FOCUS ON GETTING THNURSERY READY AND THINGS LIKE THAT..BUT MOTHERS OVER IN TANZANIAARE SIMPL3FOCUSED ON STAYING ALIVE.TAKE PKG: SAVING LIVES ...2 BY 2...THAT'S THE MISSION OF "MAMA MAISHA" ... A PROGRAM THAT SENDS LOCAL DOCTORS TO TANZANIA TO TRAIN COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON HOW TO CARE FOR PREGNANT WOMEN AND DELIVER THEIR BABIES.SOT, DR.JOANNE PRICE, OBGYN "IF YOU WANTED TO HAVE A PRENATAL VISIT WITH A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER YOU'D PROBABLY HAVE TO WALK ABOUT 6 MILES SO IMAGINE DOING THAT IN LABOR ITS NO WONDER THAT WOMEN ARE GIVING BIRTH IN THEIR VILLAGES."THAT'S WHY BLUFFTON DOCTOR JOANNE PRICE IS HEADING TO TANZANIA IN NOVEMBER...IN HOPES OF DELIVERING áDESPERATELY NEEDEDá SUPPLIES...AND EDUCATE LOCAL WOMEN ON THE SAFEST WAY TO DELIVER A BABY..."MATERNAL MORTALITY IN TANZANIA...ONE WOMAN DIES EVERY HOUR OF A BIRTH-RELATED COMPLICATION.ONE WOMAN IN100,000 WOMEN IN THE U.S WILL DIE FROM BIRTH-RELATED COMPLICATIONS THE STATISTICS ARE ENORMOUS.."IF A MOTHER DIES, HER CHILD IS MORE LIKELY TO DIE ASWELL...NOW DR.PRICE IS ASKING FOR THE COMMUNITY'S HELP JUST 20 TO 30 DOLLARS A MONTH PAYS THE SALARY OF A SKILLEBIRTH ASSISTANT IN TANZANIA..."FIVE DOLLARS WILL PROVIDE THE SUPPLIES THAT ARE NEEDED FOR 3CLEAN DELIVERY.THINGS LIKE BABY BLANKETS, JUST A STERILE SHEET, SOME PLASTIC GLOVES, SOME ALCOHOL SWABSSOME HAND SANITIZER.SO FOR A VERY SMALL COST WE CAN MAKE BIDIFFERENCES."THE LIST OF SUPPLIES NEEDED INCLUDE THINGS LIKE:BABY BLANKETS AND HATS ALCOHOL SWABS SHOWER CURTAINS SMALL BARS OF SOAP LATEX AND NON LATEX GLOVES AND STERILE GAUZE...AND THERE ARE 2 SIMPLE WAYS YOU CAN HELP OUT- EITHER BY BUYING SOMETHING OFF THE LIST OF SUPPLIES THAT THEY NEED FOR THE UPCOMING TRIP OR MAKING A FINANCIAL DONATION THAT WILL GO TOWARDS THE CAUSE.IVE POSTED ALL THE INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE WJCL DOT CO3REPORTING IN OKATIE, MEGHAN SCHILLER WJCL 22 NEWS.

Bluffton doctor heading to Tanzania, needs community's help

One local doctor heading to Tanzania in November needs the community's help to gather supplies and funds for the upcoming trip.

One local doctor heading to Tanzania in November needs the community's help to gather supplies and funds for the upcoming trip.

Dr. Joanne Price, a Bluffton OGYN, plans to spend a week in Tanzania as part of the program "Mama Maisha."

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The program, started by her friend in medical school, offers live-saving supplies and training to women and community members in the Mara region of Tanzania.

"If you wanted to have a prenatal visit with a health care provider you'd probably have to walk about six miles, so imagine doing that in labor," said Dr. Price. "It's no wonder that women are giving birth in their villages."

Tanzania has one of the highest maternal mortality rations in the developing world. At 454 maternal deaths out of 100,000 live births, one pregnant woman dies every single hour in Tanzania. If a mother dies, her infant is much more likely to die.

Dr. Price is asking for the community's help in gathering needed supplies for Safe Birth Kits and funds for the trip. Just 20 to 30 dollars a month pays the salary of a skilled birth assistant in Tanzania.

"Five dollars will provide the supplies that are needed for a clean delivery," Dr. Price. "Things like baby blankets, just a sterile sheet, some plastic gloves, some alcohol swabs, some hand sanitizer. For a very small cost we can make big differences."

Mama Maisha says it believes that the death of a mother is not only a health issue, but also a human rights violation. The focus of Mama Maisha includes training community members as health workers or Maternal and Reproductive Health Advocates (MRHAs) who facilitate women's groups in their home villages, organize community events, make home visits to women in the childbearing age in the village and promote public health topics.